Fourth-Shot Pressure: Chariot Whip + Backhand Slap

Summary

Richard Pickleball breaks down aggressive fourths so opponents don’t stroll to the kitchen. On out-of-the-air balls above the net (roughly waist-to-shoulder — not overheads), the goal is spin, depth, and pace so the next ball is harder to reset.

On the forehand he prefers the chariot whip over a flat wrist-snap when reaching for above-net balls — more spin and a ball that comes down. On the backhand, a slap out of the air creates the same pressure with options to go deep, short, or redirect. Below-net air balls get softer treatment when they’re close; save hard attacks for when they’re back.

Key takeaways

• Above-net fourths (waist–shoulder): prioritize spin + depth, not just pace
• FH: chariot whip over flat wrist-snap when reaching
• BH: slap out of the air for pressure and options
• Below-net air balls: softer when they’re close; attack when they’re deep

Action items

• Machine or partner: 20 above-net FH chariot whips aiming deep kitchen/transition
• Same feed on BH slap — track how many force a pop-up vs sail long